It's that time of year again. The one where gyms across Illinois turn into absolute pressure cookers, parents nervously check brackets on their phones, and kids who've been grinding all season finally get to see what they're made of.
We've got 225 schools and over 4,500 wrestlers registered to compete this Saturday — and that number is still climbing. Dozens of teams have yet to finalize their rosters, with entries due by end of day Thursday. By the time the whistle blows Saturday morning, we could be looking at close to 5,000 kids on mats across the state. All stepping on with the same goal: keep wrestling.
Last year, 173 schools had at least one wrestler reach the state series. That's a pretty wide net, and it tells you something important about IESA wrestling right now. The talent isn't concentrated in just a handful of programs anymore. It's spreading. Schools that weren't on anyone's radar a few years ago are suddenly producing state qualifiers. That's good for the sport.
But let's be real. Some programs are still clearly a cut above.
Who Sent the Most Wrestlers to State Last Year?
These are the schools that loaded up the bus to state in 2025. The question is, can they do it again?
Class AA
- Homer Glen Homer — 16 qualified
- Jefferson — 11 qualified
- DeKalb Huntley — 11 qualified
- Bloomington JHS — 10 qualified
Class A
- Vandalia — 11 qualified
- Gibson City — 11 qualified
- Sandwich — 10 qualified
- Coal City — 9 qualified
Sixteen qualifiers from Homer Glen. That's not a typo. When you're sending that many kids through regionals and sectionals, it means your room is deep. Top to bottom, weight class to weight class, they've just got guys.
And Who Actually Performed Best at State?
Getting to state is one thing. Scoring points when you get there? That's a whole different animal. Here are the teams that put up the biggest numbers last year.
Class AA
| School | Points |
|---|---|
| Homer Glen Homer | 144.5 |
| DeKalb Huntley | 97.5 |
| Ottawa Shepherd | 88.5 |
| Mattoon | 65.5 |
| Burlington Central | 64.5 |
Class A
| School | Points |
|---|---|
| Gibson City | 152.5 |
| Coal City | 118.0 |
| Stanford Olympia | 104.5 |
| Port Byron Riverdale | 100.0 |
| Aledo Mercer County | 96.0 |
Homer and Gibson City were just heads and shoulders above everyone else in their classes. And honestly, it wasn't even that close. Homer put almost 50 points between themselves and second place in AA. Gibson City did the same thing in A, with a nearly 35-point cushion over Coal City.
The real storyline to watch this weekend? Whether anyone's closed that gap, or whether these two are about to run it back.
The Regional Breakdown
Here's where things get real. Thirty-two regionals across the state, sixteen in each class, all happening Saturday. Every one of these gyms will have its own little universe of drama playing out.
IESA Class A — 112 Schools Across 16 Regionals
| Regional | Host City | Teams | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deerfield | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 2 | Johnsburg | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 3 | La Grange | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 4 | Chicago | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 5 | Mount Carroll | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 6 | Morrison | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 7 | Aledo | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 8 | Seneca | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 9 | Eureka | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 10 | Peoria | 6 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 11 | Knoxville | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 12 | Canton | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 13 | Monticello | 6 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 14 | Beardstown | 4 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 15 | Jerseyville | 6 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 16 | Lawrenceville | 6 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
IESA Class AA — 113 Schools Across 16 Regionals
| Regional | Host City | Teams | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antioch | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 2 | Lake Zurich | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 3 | Vernon Hills | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 4 | Highland Park | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 5 | Woodstock | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 6 | Freeport | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 7 | DeKalb | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 8 | Rock Island | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 9 | Mount Prospect | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 10 | Bolingbrook | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 11 | Lockport | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 12 | Morris | 8 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 13 | Morton | 7 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 14 | Mahomet | 5 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 15 | Chatham | 6 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
| 16 | Sauget | 5 | FloWrestling · TrackWrestling |
How It Works: The Road Through Regionals
Here's how the math shakes out. The top 3 finishers at each regional advance to sectionals. That's 3 wrestlers per weight class, across 16 regionals, in both Class A and Class AA. Do the math and you get 48 wrestlers per weight class moving on to sectionals in each class.
One thing worth knowing: schools can enter up to 2 wrestlers per weight class, meaning a single school could send as many as 38 kids to regionals. And it's not uncommon for a deep program to push both of their entries through — two teammates from the same school advancing at the same weight through regionals, sectionals, and all the way to state. That's part of what makes those big qualifier numbers from schools like Homer Glen and Gibson City so impressive. It's not just that they have one good kid at every weight. They've often got two.
So out of the thousands competing this Saturday, roughly 1,800 will still be alive after regionals. Everyone else goes home.
Then at sectionals, the field gets cut again. Four wrestlers from each of the four sectionals advance to state — bringing it down to 16 per weight class. That's the final cut. That's who gets to wrestle at state.
It's a brutal funnel. But that's what makes it mean something.
After regionals wrap up this Saturday, we'll update the rankings to reflect actual performances and confirmed weight classes. Look for updated rankings by Monday night, March 2nd.
Good luck to every wrestler hitting the mat this weekend. For a lot of these kids, this is the biggest stage they've ever been on. Soak it in. No matter what happens Saturday, the fact that you're here means you put in the work to earn it.
Now go wrestle.